View Year/Month

Letters Needed on Newest Hot Bill AB 904

Scheduled for Hearing on July 3 in Senate Governance and Finance Committee

June 22, 2012

On June 12, Assembly Member Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) gutted and amended AB 904 to revive last year’s parking bill, AB 710 (Skinner), which was strongly opposed by the League. AB 904, sponsored by the California Infill Builders Association fails to address the League’s concerns from last year’s AB 710, and it also could discourage the development of new affordable housing. For more details on AB 904, please see “Last Year’s Parking Bill AB 710 Resurrected in AB 904.”

The League is opposed to AB 904 because it prescribes a one-size-fits-all parking standard for most infill projects on a statewide basis, stripping local elected officials of the discretion to determine the appropriate on-site parking requirements for individual developments in light of overall neighborhood conditions and needs. It also could have the unintended consequence of increasing opposition to future infill development proposals by adjacent landowners in cities that already are leaders. AB 904 undermines Density Bonus Law, which incentivizes affordable housing projects by granting builders a lower parking standard. AB 904 requires a reduction in parking even when builders do not provide affordable housing. Under AB 904, the most parking a local government could require for an affordable housing unit would be one-half of one parking spot regardless of the size of the unit.

AB 904 is currently scheduled to be heard in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on July 3 at 1:30 p.m.

City opposition was instrumental in last year’s defeat of AB 710 on the floor. City officials are strongly encouraged to send opposition letters immediately for AB 904.

Senate Governance and Finance Committee Members:

Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis), chair, Fax: (916) 323-2304

Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Inland Empire), vice chair, Fax: (916) 327-2272

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), Fax: (916) 445-2527

Sen. Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), Fax: (916) 322-3304

Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Los Angeles), Fax: (916) 445-0485

Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), Fax: (916) 327-2188

Sen. Doug La Malfa (R-Butte), Fax: (916) 445-7750

Sen. Carol Liu (D-Pasadena), Fax: (916) 324-7543

Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), Fax (916) 327-2186

The League’s position letter and a sample opposition letter are available on the League’s website at by typing “AB 904” into the search box.